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The View host and former White House staffer Alyssa Farah Griffin has revealed she voted Democrat for the very first time in the 2024 US presidential election.

During the talk show’s Election Day episode, which aired on Tuesday (November 5), Farah Griffin – who served as director of strategic communications during former president Donald Trump’s administration – publicly shared that she cast her vote for Vice President Kamala Harris.

Farah Griffin, 35, began the segment by explaining her reasoning for voting for the Democratic presidential candidate. “Four years ago today, I was in the White House with Donald Trump on election night,” the former press secretary for the Department of Defense said.

“I was there standing next to one of his cabinet officials when Arizona was called for Joe Biden, and when it became increasingly clear that he was gonna lose,” she continued. “I believed he deserved to lose that night. At that point, I thought he hadn’t fought to win the election, but I thought the next four years would be the Republican Party rebuilding and becoming something I could believe in and turning the page on Donald Trump – and it didn’t do that.”

Farah Griffin then announced that “for the first time in my life, I voted for a Democrat,” as both her co-hosts and the studio audience erupted in applause. Sara Haines, Joy Behar, and Sunny Hostin all clapped for Farah Griffin, while Whoopi Goldberg remained stoic in her chair.

“I consider my vote on loan to her,” the ex-Trump aide continued. “I’m worried about the direction Donald Trump will take this country and I take my own warning seriously. What I saw is very real.”

The View co-host said she was simply searching for a candidate “who’s a kind and decent person who will bring this country together.” Although Farah Griffin admitted she doesn’t “agree with a lot of [Harris’s] policies,” she explained that her reason for supporting the Democrat was to focus on a “brighter future.”

“I think the best thing for the country and the future of the Republican Party is that Donald Trump loses and Kamala Harris is elected,” Farah Griffin concluded.

Before joining the ABC daytime talk show, Farah Griffin served as special assistant to President Trump from October 2017 to September 2019 and press secretary for Vice President Mike Pence. She was then appointed press secretary for the Department of Defense and director of media affairs. In April 2020, she joined the White House as director of strategic communications.

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However, Farah Griffin has been an outspoken critic of Trump since the January 6 attack on the US Capitol building, for which she blamed Trump and suggested he should resign. Since joining The View in July 2022, the political commentator has also declared that she will “never vote for Trump again.”

Farah Griffin is the latest of Trump’s former allies and cabinet members who’ve declined to endorse the Republican nominee in his reelection campaign. Earlier this year, former vice president Pence refused to endorse his ex-running mate in the 2024 election. Meanwhile, former defense secretaries Chuck Hagel and William Cohen; former CIA directors Michael Hayden and William Webster; and former Trump administration officials Miles Taylor and Olivia Troye are among the list of 100 prominent Trump officials who claimed he was “unfit to serve again as President, or indeed in any office of public trust.”

In October, just weeks before the election, former chief of staff John Kelly claimed Trump met the definition of “a fascist.” A group of 13 former aides later backed Kelly’s comments in an open letter, highlighting the “danger” of a potential second Trump term. Farah Griffin was among the former Trump administration officials who signed the letter.

A FORMER Coronation Street icon looks set to make a grand return to the world of soap 14 years after her last Cobbles stint.

The popular actress found fame on the ITV soap opera when she joined the cast in 2004 but hasn’t been seen in soapland since 2010.

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Tupele Dorgu portrayed the role of loudmouth factory worker Kelly Crabtree on Coronation Street for six years.

Whilst many Corrie fans have been begging for the star to make a comeback ever since her departure, Tupele is instead going in a brand new direction for her return to soapville.

Next week, the actress will be seen in the final ever episode of BBC daytime soap opera Doctors.

The show was axed last year with its final ever episode now just days away.

In order to go out with a bang, the programme has recruited Tupele as a surprise guest star for the episode with her playing a character called Bev Dartnall.

Little is known about the character of Bev with fans of the soap set to be gutted at missing out on having her in the show full-time.

Doctors’ final ever episode comes after 23 years of the daytime soap being on air.

It is thought that falling ratings, high costs and lack of awards show successes all played a part in the Beeb’s decision to axe the show for good.

Tupele’s Corrie character Kelly was most known for her antics with the fellow staff at Underworld.

Kelly had a long-running feud with barmaid Becky Granger, played by Katherine Kelly, with the pair having a number of amusing showdowns.

Meanwhile, Kelly’s personal life was also a topic of conversation with her on-off again relationship with Lloyd Mullaney, played by Craig Charles.

At one point, Kelly even went behind Lloyd’s back and had a steamy night of passion with his best mate, cabbie Steve McDonald.

Unlike most Corrie characters, Kelly did not actually reside on the street with her home address never being mentioned once throughout her six-year stint.

Tupele opted to leave the show after six years after choosing to not renew her contract with bosses.

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Her acting career has continued to flourish with the actress becoming a regular star of stage and screen.

She starred in Waterloo Road, Casualty, All at Sea and Cucumber.

Tupele has also taken the stage by storm, appearing in various plays in the West End including Velma Kelly in a 2012 tour of Chicago.

She played Rita in Educating Rita, Paulette in Legally Blonde and Belinda Bleir in Noises Off at the Royal Court in Liverpool.

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Amy Dowden has made a statement after it was announced she will no longer take part in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing series.

The professional dancer, 34, was rushed to hospital as a “precaution” on 26 October and did not perform on the Saturday night show on 2 November.

Dowden will be replaced by fellow professional dancer Lauren Oakley as JB Gill’s dance partner for the remainder of the competition.

Writing on Instagram, Dowden said: “My heart is breaking right now. The past few months I finally felt like me again.

“Cancer was no longer the first thing I thought of when I woke up. It was choreography, music choices, which dances in which order, what we needed to work on. I felt free again.

“Then I was partnered with the talented, kind, gentle soul JB. Everyday our training room was chilled, hardworking and full of big smiles enjoying what we was creating together with a blossoming friendship.

Addressing her Strictly partner directly, Dowden said: “JB thank you for being the perfect partner back. We topped the leaderboard week one and continued to work so hard and thank you for being so passionate about understanding the ballroom and Latin fundamentals.”

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Of their time on the dancefloor together, she added: “I’m so sad, so upset and asking why me, why now that our journey has been cut short.

“My heart right now is breaking having to pull out of the competition due to a foot injury and I know only too well ‘this too shall pass’ and I’ll be soon better and back dancing. Something I’ve had to get used to in my life.”

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Signing off, Dowden said: “To all the fans, to my loved ones, my Strictly family thank you.

“JB I know you and Lauren will continue to ace that dance floor. I’ll forever be your biggest cheerleader.”

The Strictly proffesional’s replacement responded to her heartfelt message in the Instagram comments.

“This too shall pass,” Oakley said. “We’re still a team. Love you. You did the groundwork, I’ll carry your partnership forward and hopefully make you proud.”

While Dowden did not perform during Saturday night’s show, she watched from the sidelines as Oakley and Gill danced a couple’s choice to a medley of Bruno Mars songs, and scored a near-perfect 39 points.

During one moment in Saturday night’s show, Gill turned to the camera and mouthed “For you Amy” after he danced – and Dowden said the gesture made her cry.

The dancer was unable to compete in last year’s competition as she underwent treatment for breast cancer.

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In May 2023, she was diagnosed with an “aggressive” form of stage three breast cancer finding a lump in her breast the day before her Maldives honeymoon with fellow professional dancer Ben Jones.

She underwent a mastectomy, chemotherapy and fertility treatment in those nine months and was eventually told she had “no evidence of disease” in February 2024.

When Dowden’s name was announced in the 2024 line-up for Strictly, she celebrated the news and told her fans that she could not wait to be back doing what she loves the most: dancing.

“My heart is so happy,” she wrote. “The best team on and off the dance floor. Feel blessed and more excited than ever. Bring it on!”

EMMERDALE villain Tom King exposed himself today as an abuser after the villagers burned an effigy of him over all he’d done.

The vet – who is played by actor James Chase in the ITV soap – is slowly being unmasked as an abuser who controlled, beat and terrorised wife Belle Dingle during their short marriage.

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In today’s episode Tom discovered that his plot to gain sympathy by staging attacks on himself had failed.

Instead the village came together to burn an effigy of him for Bonfire Night – and he was horrified and then made a fatal mistake.

Amelia begged him: “Don’t rise to them Tom, because that’s exactly what they want.”

But he wanted to make a show of it and raged: “Is it not enough that I got a brick through my window, attacked and now this? 

“Can you believe the absolute gall of that bunch of inbreds? I can’t believe they would pull a sick stunt like this.”

Jimmy told him to calm down and Amelia tried to get him to go home but Tom thundered over to the Dingles and demanded to know who did it.

Mandy strolled up first and told him: “I did it, what are you going to do about it?”

Paddy then joined her, adding: “No, no. I think you’ll find it was me.”

The pair were quickly joined by Chas who told Tom: “Sorry, well not so sorry.”

“Busted!” then said Sam as Aaron pushed through them to confront Tom head on.

“Why don’t you have a pop at me because it was me that did it?” he said as John backed him up offering to hold Tom’s coat.

Aaron added: “Oh yeah, I forgot, you only attack women, don’t you?”

Paddy stepped in and told Aaron: “Leave it, battering him isn’t going to help Belle is it?”

And then Amelia decided to shout from the sidelines: “The poor girl’s sick, can’t you see that?”

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She went after Tom as he fled the confrontation and he turned on her in front of everyone.

“I didn’t even want to come here, it was your idea,” he raged.

Belle Dingle’s biggest Emmerdale storylines

Mineshaft fall

One of her first storylines occured when the character was just seven-years-old. She was under the care of her uncle Shadrach Dingle (Andy Devine), who fell asleep. Daz Eden (Luke Tittensor) paid them a visit where he brought his pet ferret Spike. Although she was sternly warned against it, Belle let the animal out the cage and chased it through the fields. She she pursued the animal, she accidently fell down a mine shaft and had to be rescued.

Killing of Gemma Andrews

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Gemma Andrews was played by actress Tendai Rinomhota. She was initially best friends with Belle before boys got in the way. After various dramatic moments, they got into an altercation. Belle pushed her to the ground in anger and Gemma hit her head. Belle was apologetic and she tried to help, but Gemma told her to stay away and they walked off in different directions. However, Harriet Finch (Katherine Dow Blyton) was left horrified after she found Gemma’s body near a hedge and she later passed away in hospital. Although Belle confessed her actions to Lisa (Jane Cox), her mother told her not to go to the police. But she later left the funeral to hand herself in, where she was charged with murder.

Jermaine Bailey affair

Belle first encountered Dr. Jermaine Bailey (Micah Balfour) when she needed treatment after she cut her hand on some glass. She was initially attracted to him, although she soon found out that he was already married. They could not stay away from each other as they met up at a factory to have sex. However, they accidentally started a fire when a candle was knocked into a bin. When he found out she was just 17-years-old, he tried to end their relationship, but they soon got back together. Belle later confessed the details of the affair to Jermaine’s wife, Angie Bailey (Nina Toussaint-White), after she became suspicious. Although he revealed plans to leave, she told him that she was pregnant. However she was actually faking it in an attempt to prevent him from leaving.

Schizophrenia diagnosis

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After the details about the affair were revealed, Belle had a breakdown in the café. After paramedics were called, Belle went missing. A body was found by the police, but Zak (Steve Halliwell) and Lisa were relieved when they went to identify the body to discover that it was not Belle. After living rough, she collapsed from malnutrition and dehydration and was taken to hospital. When Zak and Lisa visited, Belle lashed out as she thought they would kill her. Belle was later assessed by doctors and after she claims that she could hear more than one voice, Jermaine thought she might have schizophrenia. The Dingle parents are informed that it might be best to send Belle to a unit in Surrey to recover from the episode. Six weeks later she returns to the village to visit her family.

Lachlan White

Belle was known for her relationship with Lachlan White (Thomas Atkinson). The actor was known amongst soap fans for his portrayal of the serial killer from 2014 until September 2018. During his killing spree, he committed a number of murders. These included his mum and grandfather, Chrissie and Lawrence White, his best friend Gerry Roberts and a conman who pretended to be Gerry’s uncle. He attempted to kill rival Robert Sugden (Ryan Hawley) and Liv Flaherty (Isobel Steele) when he believed she discovered him. Many viewers also believed he had killed his aunt Rebecca, but both times she was revealed to be alive. When his crimes were discovered, he tried to go on the run where he kidnapped his girlfriend Belle Dingle. She then tried to escape, but was run over by Robert and Ross Barton (Michael Parr) who were looking for the duo.

Tom King

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Belle married Thomas King (James Chase) in 2024, but soon after the marriage descended into chaos as Belle became part of a coercive control storyline. He locked her inside the house, secretly filmed her using CCTV, and subjected her to severe mental and physical abuse. He would also emotionally manipulate her too as he regulated and disposed of some of her mental health medication. After he made her think her beloved dog piper was killed in a road accident, she soon discovered his true nature. She tied to break free of his grip by telling her family. After he then tried to make her life hell in revenge, she attacked him with an axe in an act of desperation.

“This was you, meddling, making things worse and look at you – chasing after me like some stray dog. Do you see how pathetic you look?”

She fled in tears as the villagers watched her humiliation and Jimmy and Nicola looked concerned.

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Ben Shephard attempted a risky stunt on his co-host Cat Deeley on Tuesday’s episode of This Morning, and it backfired spectacularly.

The duo replaced Holly Willoughby and Philip Schofield earlier this year after the departure of the veteran presenters.

Deeley and Shephard have taken well to their new employment, and have shared a number of intimate moments including Shephard presenting his co-host with a personalised poem that left her in tears.

During the live 5 November episode, the pair attempted to recreate a dance lift that has gone viral on social media.

The Dancing With The Stars leg lift has seen social media users imitate US sportsman Danny Amendola and his partner and professional dancer Witney Carson on the latest season of the popular US dancing contest.

Shephard performed the complicated manoeuvre on Deely as he lifted her from the ground by holding on to her ankle.

Deeley fell dramatically as Shephard appeared concerned, asking: “Do you need medical assistance?”

They then showed behind-the-scenes footage of them practising for the dance, but Deeley was overcome by laughter as Shephard struggled to pick her up off the floor.

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Last week, the former CD:UK presenter was comforted by Shephard as she struggled to hold back tears on her birthday.

The presenter, who rose to fame in the Nineties and Noughties for presenting SMTV Live alongside Ant and Dec, was given a caterpillar cake with her face on it by her co-host Shephard to celebrate her 48th birthday.

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Deeley was left emotional after Shephard revealed that renowned British poet Pam Ayres had composed a personalised poem to celebrate the occasion. She explained that she had been woken up at 5:30am to be presented with birthday cards by her family.

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The TV presenters took over from ex-hosts Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby who left the programme in 2023 after 14 years. Schofield resigned after admitting to having a relationship with a teenage crew member who had started working at the show when he was aged 15. Schofield admitted the affair was “unwise, but not illegal”.

Meanwhile, Willoughby left shortly after and has remained away from the public eye following a thwarted kidnap, murder and rape plot.

AMY Dowden is hoping to make a shock return to Strictly before the end of the current series.

It was revealed today that Amy, 34, would no longer be taking part in the programme, owing to a recent medical emergency.

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She missed last weekend’s show and was replaced by Lauren Oakley, 33, in her partnership with JLS star JB Gill, 37,

Now the change has been made permanent as she recovers from a foot injury.

Her spokesperson has stated that, although Amy is understandably upset about having to withdraw, she is anticipated to make a full recovery in the coming weeks.

They told The Mirror: “Amy is hoping to be able to dance again on Strictly before the end of the series.

“It is a different injury to the one she had a year ago. It’s the same foot but a different bone. It’s just terribly bad luck.

“She did it during training, it was one of those things, nobody’s fault, but it got worse over the next few days.”

Today, it was confirmed that the medical emergency had forced Amy out of the contest for good.

Amy, who has Crohn’s Disease and has been battling cancer, missed the results programme last week after she was rushed to hospital.

Breaking her silence earlier this evening, Amy said: “My heart is breaking right now. The past few months I finally felt like me again.

“Cancer was no longer the first thing I thought of when I woke up. It was choreography, music choices, which dances in which order, what we needed to work on. I felt free again.

“My goal since hearing those words you have cancer was to get back on the Strictly dance floor. It’s been such a challenge to get back, one I devoted 2024 too.”

She went on to add: “My heart right now is breaking having to pull out of the competition due to a foot injury and I know only too well ‘this too shall pass’ and I’ll be soon better and back dancing.

Amy Dowden’s statement in full

“My heart is breaking right now. The past few months I finally felt like me again. Cancer was no longer the first thing I thought of when I woke up. It was choreography, music choices, which dances in which order, what we needed to work on. I felt free again.

“My goal since hearing those words you have cancer was to get back on the strictly dance floor. It’s been such a challenge to get back, one I devoted 2024 too. Which with my incredible team we got there. Something I wanted to do for myself and loved ones.

“There was no feeling like it dancing again in the ballroom with my strictly family. Then I was partnered with the talented,kind, gentle soul JB. Every day our training room was chilled, hardworking and full of big smiles enjoying what we was creating together with a blossoming friendship.

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“JB thank you for being the perfect partner back. We topped the leader board week one and continued to work so hard and thank you for being so passionate about understanding the ballroom and Latin fundamentals.

“For me that rumba will always be one of my favs. I’m so sad, so upset and asking why me, why now that our journey has been cut short. My heart right now is breaking having to pull out of the competition due to a foot injury and I know only too well ‘this too shall pass’ and I’ll be soon better and back dancing.

“Something I’ve had to get used to in my life. I’m sure at some point we will dance again JB To all the fans, to my loved ones, my strictly family thank you.

“JB I know you and Lauren will continue to ace that dance floor I’ll forever be your biggest cheerleader.”

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“Something I’ve had to get used to in my life. I’m sure at some point we will dance again JB.”

Her most recent foot injury comes after her fractured foot last November, which occurred whilst rehearsing a dance at home, three days after she finished cancer treatment.

It came after two gruelling rounds of chemotherapy, during which she contracted life-threatening sepsis.

Over the weekend, fans were left in tears as they watched Amy cheer on JB from the clauditorium.

Amy sobbed as Lauren and JB scooped a hugely impressive 39 out of 40 for their routine.

One fan was quick to take to the Strictly forum and wrote: “Amy’s putting on a brave face but she looks crushed. It’s making me cry.”

Strictly Amy’s cancer ‘nightmare’

The Sun’s Jamie Downham takes a look at the beloved Strictly star’s ups and downs…

AS Strictly Come Dancing viewers know, you’ll struggle to catch Amy Dowden without a huge smile on her face.

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But recently the Welsh star – one the best-rated Ballroom and Latin American professional dancers the UK has ever produced – has suffered a string of “nightmare” blows to her health.

She was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in May last year and underwent a full mastectomy, before having chemotherapy towards the end of 2023.

However, she later reported docs had found a clot on her lung, telling fans sadly: “Unfortunately I’ve had another nightmare this week.”

Nonetheless, brave Amy, seen here dancing with James Bye, made an epic return to Strictly the following month with an appearance that left many viewers in floods tears.

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As 2024 dawned, she admitted: “I feel I was robbed of the year I had planned and reflecting for me makes me upset and angry.”

However, she was soon smiling again. Amy, her hair starting to grow back after her cancer treatment, was seen messing around with her co-stars Dianne Buswell and Vito Coppola on the Strictly tour earlier this month.

And despite another spell in hospital in February, she still mustered a cheeriness many would struggle for, telling fans: “The sun is shining – and I certainly can’t wait for Spring.”

And we certainly can’t wait to see you dancing again, Amy…

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